Crescent Fire
by WhiteBirdAolen
Summary: Saïx decided it is time to find out more about Axel. Though, he surely wouldn't have expected to dig up so many things hidden away not only inside of the other Nobody's, but also his soul. Rating: T. Contains M/M fluff.
1. A Calm Evening

Giving himself a critical look in the mirror, Saix brushed over the quite unusual clothes he had chosen for the evening. Instead of the usual stuffy black robe, he had decided to go for a plain black pair of pants and a white shirt to match it. He looked odd – at least, that was what he thought of himself at that very moment. So different from his usual self, and still...

Sighing, he shook his head. No, he couldn't back down from it any longer. He had been looking forward to the meeting the whole day long, which had made it easier to endure Xemnas's bossy behavior, Marluxia's cocky remarks and Demyx's utter lack of any spirit for their mission.

His eyes rested on the X-shaped scars over his face, and for a moment, he asked himself if he should do something to hide them. But that was impossible, and he knew that just too well. Illusions weren't his cup of tea, and yet, he would have liked to hide them _somehow_. Though, it wasn't like Axel hadn't seen them ever before, right?

The red-head had been on his mind all day long already, which had unnerved and at the same time amused Saix. Usually, he didn't think of this special member of the Organisation too much, but this evening would require his whole attention. They hadn't worked together on any missions, which was a reason to _finally_ get acquainted better.

Besides, Saix had grown curious about the unusual relationship he had observed between Axel and Roxas. Nobodies weren't cut to befriend, or show any such feelings towards each other, but between the two of them, there definitely _was_ something. Was it really love, though? He would have been able to tell, hadn't he lacked a heart, just like any other of them.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Saix regathered his focus. He and Axel had known each other for pretty much a little eternity by now, had worked hard on carrying on the mission of creating Kingdom Hearts as the key to their own hearts. Beating, feeling and most importantly understanding hearts, which would make them complete beings.

Hearts were such a strange thing... So hard to be understood, so elusive when trying to describe them. It was amusing and frustrating all the same, which matched his current mood quite well. Exhaling lowly, Saix turned, giving himself a last stray glance to then leave the fortress.

In the streets of the eternally dark world they lived in, the _World That Never Was_, he found his way around easily. He knew the streets by heart (had he possessed one), taking his time to enter the bar he and Axel had agreed to meet in. Saix smiled to himself as he sat there, shaking his head about himself. Usually, they had to watch out to not be seen. But now, they could be at their ease.

Soon enough, he was joined by Axel, who greeted him with his usual merry grin and patted on his shoulder. "Hey there, Saix, good to see you."

As if they hadn't met already today. But well, it was the common phrase, he guessed, so he wouldn't argue there. The only thing he wanted to ensure was that the evening would be a nice one, and as far away from the usual distant mood as possible.

"I feared you wouldn't come. Xemnas gave you a quite time-consuming mission today, didn't he."

"Yes... I don't see the point in still doing these childish runs for the Organisation Emblems. I mean, they were there to train my navigating around the worlds, but that was that. I mean, it's the right training for Roxas, but not for me."

The bartender brought them their drinks; white wine for Saix, and liquor for Axel. At the questioning look on Axel's glass, the red-head merely sighed. "Water reminds me of Demyx too much. And I don't want to think of this lazyass tonight."

"Don't we all want to avoid him..." Saix muttered absent-mindedly, sipping on his wine.

"Almost as much as Larxene, that witch. She scared me out of my mind today when she announced she would accompany Roxas today. Good thing that Xemnas had something different for her to do in the end."

"She indeed has quite some temper, that much I have to admit."

"Well, at least we all are different. It would be pretty odd to have two members with the exact same powers in our Organisation."

Saix shrugged his shoulders, staring down at his wine glass before turning towards Axel again. The red-head was drinking his liquor pretty fast, and by how it looked, he soon would order a second glass. Hopefully, as Saix thought to himself, he wouldn't have to deal with a drunk Axel. _That_ would have become really odd.

"Axel, what I wanted to ask your for some time already..."

"Hm?" Axel set down his glass (this time water, after reluctantly having to admit the liquor was pretty strong), giving Saix a questioning look. "Something the matter?"

"It's about you and Roxas." Saix mused out loud, scratching the back of his head. "I can't quite understand what your relationship to this boy is. Is it something special or...?"

"Erm... We settled with calling it _friendship_, but I'm not sure if we aren't mistaken. I mean, heh, no heart to confirm this feeling, right? But I guess we're not too far away from it."

"Friendship, then. That's a pretty strong feeling, though. Are you sure that you still are a Nobody?"

"Woah, Saix, now you scared me. Since when are you making such jokes?"

"I wasn't really joking, Axel. Well? Sure that you haven't got any feelings yet?"

"Pretty sure even, I still can't really feel anything." Axel was rubbing the back of his head with that usual gesture of his, whenever he was not sure about what he should say, was a little bashful, or simply confused. "At least I'm sure of that. I may have said I'm scared, but, no. Nothing changed."

"Good, then I don't have to worry." Saix crooked a faint smile, returning his attention to his wine, while Axel after some pondering ordered a second glas of liquor.

This second glass soon was followed by a third and a fourth, which finally made the red-head sway on the stool dangerously. Saix huffed in slight annoyance, as Axel started to sing lowly, face red and a strange smile plastered to his face. It was unsettling, to say the least, to see the other in such a state. But well, Saix guessed that not even a Nobody was immune towards the influence of alcohol.

Paying for their drinks, Saix grabbed the swaying red-head, and with a low huff, he maneuvred Axel out of the bar and along the streets. The fact that the other Nobody was drunk annoyed him, as well as stirred something inside of him. A feeling? No, nothing like that. But it still was unsettling him just a tiny bit, while he dragged Axel along the streets of the _World That Never Was_...


	2. Three Words

"Xemnas and Saïx are sitting in a tree..."

"Axel, would you _please_ stop singing already?"

Saïx had been putting up with the swaying and chanting red-head for several minutes by now, and he was almost at his limit. There was nothing cute or anything like that about how Axel was swaying and staggering around, or had to hang on to him to not fall over onto his face. If it went on like that, Saïx swore he would do something they might both regret later on.

"Ah, come on, Saïxy, there's nothing wrong with h-having some fun!" Axel slurred out, that goofy smile still on his face. "You're just too stiffened up and all!"

"You would be, too, if you had to put up with some certain Nobody having drunk too much for his own good..." Saïx remarked with gritting teeth. "I knew that the liquor wouldn't be good for you."

"Aw, come on, it's not like I'm drunk..." Axel complained, while staggering around _this_ much Saïx feared he would lose his balance soon. "I only drank a wee bit."

"I can see that much. And now come on. We need to head back and be ready for tomorrow's work."

Though, judging by how tipsy Axel was, Saïx doubted that the red-head would manage to deal with the hangover impending on him. Really, what had the other been thinking when drinking this much?Then again, he could have watched out for the other to not get this wasted.

By the time they had managed about half of the way, Axel had a sudden fit of childish behavior, which caused Saïx to sit the other down on a bench and steady him. If that would have been possible, that was. Axel was staggering this much it was almost impossible for Saïx to hold him up.

"Axel, pull yourself together now!" The blue-haired Nobody was clearly aggravated.

"Y-You're still much to t-t-tensed up." Axel stuttered and slurred this much it was hard for Saïx to even understand the other Nobody any longer. "You should have drunk a-as much as me."

"No, I shouldn't have." Saïx sighed, slightly impatient. "Now, Axel, let us _please_ go back? The others might start to worry if we don't show up."

"Nonsense." Axel refused to move, pouting a little. "They know w-we're grown up men and c-c-can take care of our...ourselves."

Saïx took a deep breath, crossing his arms in front of his chest. It was useless to try and talk some sense into Axel. The red-head was _past_ wasted, he was in the state when he could argue back in a twisted, but still logical way.

"Axel, could we please go? It's not nice to stay outside at this time of the night. You never know when the Heartless might show up."

"I-I don't care about them." Axel stared into space with a strangely glassy look. "T-They should just come and try to challenge me!"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Saïx tried to remain stubborn, which took a lot of nerves to keep up. "We shouldn't give them too many chances now, should we?"

Axel still didn't move too willingly, but at least, Saïx could get him to stand up and walk, more or less, properly with him. Sighing in mild annoyance, the blue-haired male tried to not listen to what the other Nobody was singing and muttering there. Quite possibly of him and Xemnas sitting in a tree and doing strange things...

Staggering, Saïx found it hard to keep Axel on his feet for much longer. Really, what had the other been thinking when drinking this much? Huffing lowly, he maneuvred Axel to sit down again, and this time steadied the red-head with a firmer grip than before.

"Saïx, I got to say something..." Axel muttered, the strange smile having returned again. But it wasn't the goofy smile from before. Much... _warmer_ than anything he had seen before.

"Yes, Axel?" Saïx lifted an eyebrow, confused about the change in the other's behavior all of a sudden.

"_I love you, Saïx_."

He couldn't have surprised the blue-haired Nobody more.

Saïx cowered there, stunned beyond words and staring at the other's face. Axel was yawning now, again muttering "I love you..." before drifting off into his alcohol-triggered nap. Oh, that would be one Hell of a hangover tomorrow...

He didn't know what to do of that. Saïx hesitantly grabbed Axel again, then huffed and piggy-backed the other, needing some time to adjust the limp and heavy body on his back. Oddly charmed, he slowly carried the softly snoring red-head back to the fortress, never thinking about what this might mean for the two of them.

_I love you, Saïx._

Was Axel serious about that? They couldn't feel, much less _love_ each other, not without a heart understanding and carrying those feelings into their bodies and minds. So how could Axel say such a thing and mean it?

_'I bet he is just too drunk to understand what he is talking there any longer. Drunken dozy moron.'_

But those thoughts hadn't got anything hostile about them. They rathere were a rather nice, mental tease he kept to himself. Saïx adjusted the sleeping male on his back, feeling how the breath flushed against his nape, hearing the low snoring of the other's deep, almost narcotic sleep.

Surprisingly, he didn't run into anyone when climbing the stairs to the fortress, finding the castle silent and almost deserted. He stopped by one of the tall windows, looking up at the heart-shaped moon. Something like a weight seemed to be lifted from him, and a faint smirk tugged at the corners of the blue-haired male's mouth.

He glanced back at Axel, who still was hanging heavily on his back. He would have to carry the other to his room, else there was no way he would get the other to bed.

"I'll not go drinking with you again too soon, you know that?" Saïx had whispered lowly to Axel, but he still was smiling.

After all, Axel wasn't a bad guy at all. He was a... _friend_. Even now.


	3. Headache And Confusion

"Good morning, Axel. I see you have slept well?"

The red-head grumbled something, rubbing his hurting head and giving Marluxia a slight glare. The _Graceful Assassin_ was annoying him this morning, even more than usually. It might have been because of that damned grin. He could have hit Marluxia for that.

Without a word, the pink-haired male scooted closer, trying to get Axel to relax – but honestly, he merely achieved the opposite. With a rather rough shove, Axel put some distance between them, before staggering off to find Saïx. He had to know what had happened in the night before.

It didn't take long for him to find the blue-haired male. He was scolding Roxas for his slightly slacking performance, but at the same time encouraged him to do better the next time. Axel couldn't stop himself from smiling slightly. That was typically Saïx.

After Roxas had left, Axel slowly approached the other Nobody, just to notice that Saïx apparently had been waiting for him already. Mildly confused, he followed the blue-haired male as the other waved him to come with him. What in the name of all hearts...?

"Let me guess, Marluxia already bothered you this morning."

"If I wouldn't know any better, I would say that you have psychic abilities. Yes, Pinkie already thought it would be smart to bother me."

"Well, you refused to drink the water yesterday, as you already had been sleeping by the time we got back to the fortress."

"About that, Saïx..." Axel rubbed his forehead with a pained expression. "What happened anyway? I can just remember having ordered a second glass of liquor, and then everything's a _mess_."

"You drank more than you could cope with." Saïx shrugged lightly. "It was easy as that... _Lea_."

Axel flinched lightly, giving Saïx a confused look. That hadn't happened in quite a while. They never had called each other with their Somebodies' names, but apparently, Saïx had found a reason to go back to this habit.

"Well, if you say so, Isa, then it might be true..." Axel muttered, groaning as he felt his headache throbbing again. "Though, I rather would have something against this epic headache now."

"Hold on..." Saïx stepped closer, brushing his hand against Axel's forehead. What that had to do with getting rid of a headache was a mystery to Axel, but he didn't stop the other. "I might have something. But you have to be sure that you won't talk yourself into something."

"What the... Isa, what are you talking about?"

"We will have to ask Vexen for something, I fear."

"Oh. _No._" Axel shook his head, despite the throbbing pain it caused. "I'm so not going to ask _him_ for some medication or something like that. You never can be sure what the Hell he gives you."

"I know, Lea, but we have to do something against your headache, right? You can either do something against it immediately, or endure a whole day with all the morons of the Organization with them seeming to be even worse than usually. It's your decision."

"Fine fine..." Axel sighed, shuddering at the thought. "Will you swear that you'll hold my hand when we go visit the bad uncle doctor?"

"...I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Saïx had averted his look, though. Something about this apparently had bothered him a little. "You claimed yourself that you are a grown man and can take care of yourself. You said so just the night before."

"Yeah, but I can't remember that, Isa." Axel was grinning now, all of a sudden. "Or do you want to tell me that little _Isa-boo-boo_ is afraid of the big bad Uncle?"

"That's not funny." Saïx had narrowed his eyes lightly, which looked a tad more threatening than it should with the X-shaped scar across his face. "Just... go and do whatever you think is better for your head."

"I think it's better to not risk anything when going to see Vexen." Axel rubbed his forehead with a sigh. "Even if Xemnas will scold me without end for that."

"Then why risking it?"

"Because I rather have Xemnas lecturing me than Vexen trying some creepy stuff on me. I mean it, Isa, I _don't want_ any of that creepy stuff Vexen is cooking up there."

"Fine, suit yourself." Saïx still sounded oddly... worried. What the...?

"Isa? Are you... are you _concerned_ about what happened yesterday?"

"You know just as well as me that we are not capable of such feelings." Saïx gave Axel a long, intent look. "And that's it. But yes, you could suppose that... maybe... I'm a little worried over you. If I had a heart, I would be, I guess."

Axel was perfectly stunned. Of all the Nobodies, Saïx was the one to admit he might be _feeling_ something there? But Saïx was one of the few fully embracing his existence as Nobody! He had said so several times, and never had contradicted himself. Not like that, at least. And that was confusing Axel beyond words.

"Isa... has something big happened that you are thinking about it?"

"No, Lea. Don't worry, it was just a thing of the moment, I guess. But now, we have to go back to work. And please, Lea, just consider going to see Vexen. A lecturing might not be too funny to endure with a headache."

Just as Saïx had mentioned that, Axel felt the usual panging pain again, and reluctantly admitted that maybe, it wasn't too bad that he went to fetch something from their crazy scientist. Even if that meant stepping right into the Devil's kitchen, how he liked to call Vexen's laboratories for himelf.

On the way there, Axel couldn't decide what to think about Saïx's strange behavior from earlier. There was something decidedly confusing about the other's way of phrasing things, and that didn't exactly serve to keep him from pondering and thinking it through over and over again...

As he left Vexen's room later on, the pain already fading, he began to wonder why Saïx had gone back to calling him with his Somebody name. It had to have a reason, after all, right?


	4. Sunset

The light was spilling in all shades of red, orange and yellow, once more marking the end of a day. Axel was sitting on the top platform of the clock tower, as ever when he spent the very last hours of the day in Twilight Town. Watching the sunset over and over again had something strangely calming – even without a heart needing any calm.

Saïx had been really strange today. First, he had sent Axel on a rather short mission (which almost had made the red-head feel offended), then he had sent out two teams consisiting of Marluxia and Demyx, or in the other case Larxene and Vexen. All those Nobodies Axel could stand the least – and they had been given the most annoying missions.

Thoughtfully cocking his head to one site, Axel let his thoughts wander. Roxas had been sent on an especially long mission, something which worried him. Saïx had tried to convince Xemnas of letting someone else handle the situation, but the leader of the Organization wouldn't have heard of any of that.

"So there you are, Lea."

Axel flinched lightly as he heard the so familiar voice. "What are you doing here, Isa?"

Saïx shrugged lightly, stepping close to Axel and then letting his gaze rest on the horizon. "I guess I wanted to find out where you and Roxas go to each and every day. And... I wanted to apologize I couldn't convince Xemnas to allow Roxas to come back for today."

"Don't blame yourself. It's alright." Even if Axel felt quite heavy with the thought that Roxas was out there and alone.

"You're lying, aren't you, Lea." Saïx managed a small smile, sitting down next to Axel and shaking his head. "So I guess that there might be a little bit of a heart inside of you. Not surprising, seeing that you accompanied Roxas this often. There might be the one or other part of Kingdom Hearts inside of you already."

"You think so?" Axel didn't sound too convinced of that. "No, Isa, you're imagining things."

"I'm pretty convinced, Lea." Saïx gave him a firm look. "Maybe we don't need Kingdom Hearts itself. Maybe it is enough to be _close_."

"Close to what?"

"Well, to Roxas, of course. You and him, spending almost every day with each other... It was bound to have a certain effect at some point, don't you agree there?"

"Now that you mention it..." Axel tilted his head slightly, one hand resting over the spot where otherwise would have been a heart. "It makes sense, yes. But, should we tell anyone else about it? I mean, we are not _obliged_ to share every little secret, right?"

"It might come out at some point." Saïx leaned his head back, eyes watching the skies above them. "It never is as simple as we wish it would be. Hearts are something so simple and yet so complicated, not even the best were able to figure them out."

"Are you trying to become philosophical, Isa?" Axel was chuckling lightly, which was much harder than he made it sound. "You're weird, and confusing as ever."

"Could be."

"And back to your usual cold self. Phew, I was almost worried for a moment."

Saïx shook his head, again a faint smile coming to his face. But it really was just the faintest shade of a smile. "You're talking too much for your own good, Lea."

"That's just how I am, not my fault you've started on discussing that."

"Fine fine, I'm stopping it already." Saïx sighed, making it sound more annoyed than it really had to. "You have other worries than me, I suppose."

"Not really, at least not at the moment." Axel pulled Saïx close, which surprised the blue-haired male quite some.

"Something the matter you have to get cuddly?"

"Just wondering how it would be to have a heart again. How it would be to go back to the old days... and stay there. Without all of this ever to happen. Would it make us _different_?"

"I suppose so." Saïx had muttered more than absent-mindedly, which didn't match the blue-haired male really. "Well, anything else you and Roxas do up here than to tease each other?"

"Hey, slow down, Isa. I can't do everything like with Roxas."

"And why not? Any problems there?"

"It's just..." Axel rubbed the back of his head, searching for the right words. "It's just that we have this little ritual, alright? We sit up here, talk about the day, and we eat ice cream."

"You mean seasalt ice cream?"

"Yep, exactly that. And we... at least try to laugh every day. So far, it worked out pretty well."

"Sounds strangely purposeless."

"Not everything has to have a reason or a higher goal, Isa."

Axel finally let go of Saïx, but not without giving the blue hair a good ruffling. That caused Saïx to squirm around, and at least bring one of those faint smiles to the usually so stoic mask of a face.

Below them, children were playing in the last rays of daylight, laughing and cheering at each other. With a strange, vague impression of _something_, Saïx leaned back a little, feeling slightly uneasy with all of that air between him and the ground. The _Castle That Never Was_ wasn't exactly low either, but still, there were no windows or anything like that to separate him from the abyss.

"They seem to be having fun."

"Exactly that they have." Axel then pushed Saïx's shoulder lightly, offering the slightly confused Nobody seasalt ice. "And maybe, I should go back to treating you as a friend, Isa."

"Thanks." And the smile being on Saïx's face this time was the warmest in a little eternity.


End file.
